A deafening silence filled the giant foyer. I hadn't anticipated this sort of news; while I hadn't known Mrs. Malfoy for very long, and though I had not gotten as acquainted with her as my own mother did (the two of them always seemed like sisters when they were socializing), I felt a sinking feeling within my gut. I felt a great remorse that I hadn't made a better effort to get to know her better; at least if I had, I might have shown more emotion when the house elf smacked us with this tragedy.
Meanwhile, Lucius's expression was hard to read. He looked like a blank canvas, and it scared me. I looked at the creature, my voice shaking a bit as I felt inclined to break the silence. "What happened?"
"She was k-killed, mistress."
Now, I had good reason to be terrified. Who would have deliberately murdered Lucius's mother? Someone, perhaps, that was aware of her husband or son with a standing as a Death Eater? What more, why hadn't anyone sent us a letter? I was sure we would have made plans to return as soon as possible, if we had just known... My fear replaced itself with guilt. While Abraxas mourned the death of his wife, we were too busy gallivanting in Venice.
"Where is my father?"
Lucius's words finally shot like a firecracker in the air. I was almost startled by the sternness in his voice, and I didn't fail to notice how it struck fear into the house elf he addressed.
"He's in the living r-room, s-sir."
My husband walked heavily toward the door that would lead into the next room. Just as the creature had said, Abraxas Malfoy sat in a black, leather chair, perched near a roaring fireplace. He seemed to stare at the flames, a teardrop goblet in his hand that appeared emptied, though the remnants of red wine could faintly be seen at its bottom. By the look on his face, Mr. Malfoy was very tired, and perhaps a tad drunk.
Once again, the lack of conversation brought a rise to my anxiety. All I could hear was the crackling of the flames in the stony hearth. My father-in-law usually intimidated me, so conjuring words, especially now, wasn't easy. Thankfully, Lucius managed to speak up first. "Tell me everything." Still, his words seemed absent of emotion.
At first, Abraxas didn't answer. His eyes didn't even shift away from the fireplace. I had initially thought he was in a trauma-induced paralysis, or somehow slept with his eyes wide open, but soon, his finger tapped the glass in his hand, and I knew he had heard the inquiry.
"Avelina and I were having dinner at Eilam's," he began, the orange glow dancing across the left side of his face. At any other time, a splendid, seafood meal at Eilam's and a romantic walk on the Clevedon Pier by the romantic restaurant would have sounded wonderful, but my appetite was long gone. "It had been a long time since your mother and I really got any time to ourselves, so, I couldn't imagine a better place to take her for the evening..." His words faded, and the grip on his glass seemed to tighten a little bit. "Soory," he growled at the house elf, "bring me another."
The creature that followed us into the living room left without a word. I hadn't even known his name until now. Why had I never bothered to ask? Perhaps I never cared enough to. At least Kreacher had some personality; this one never even thought for itself.
"The Aurors came for me," Abraxas said lowly, his voice remarkably even. "One stopped us at the pier. Couldn't tell you his name. Had a patch over his eye. He offered me a chance to come quietly, but of course, I retaliated. From there, it escalated. Avelina... your mother... she stepped in when he fired at me..."
"I'm so sorry," I murmured quietly to the both of them. However, my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. I could tell that Lucius was more angry than he was upset.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" he demanded, the volume of his voice above all other sounds in the room. "We would have come straight home!"
"Why should I ruin your honeymoon?" Abraxas spoke in defeat, though as Soory brought over the glass of wine, he took it. "Besides, what difference would it have made whether you came yesterday or today?" As an offering, he held it up toward his son, who didn't seem too keen on accepting it.
"I want that auror's name. I want him dead."
"Before more Aurors came to back him up, I took his leg. That will do, for now." Abraxas avoided pushing the subject further, and for a few moments longer, stillness reigned. "The Dark Lord wants to meet tomorrow night. He wants all three of us there."
"Three?" my spouse repeated, but my heart was already racing. Senior Malfoy's eyes settled on me, and all I wanted to do was run out of the room. Yet, my feet were anchored to the wooden panels. "Narcissa has nothing to do with this," Lucius sneered.
"She is in a family of Death Eaters. She is your wife. My daughter-in-law. Bellatrix Lestrange's sister. The Dark Lord has orders; I'm afraid we must see them through."
"What does he want with her?" Lucius demanded.
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, my son." Abraxas had been about to down the glass of wine before I grabbed it from him, feeling the need to numb myself for a change. As if I hadn't consumed my share of wine on my honeymoon, I downed it quickly, though the bitter taste left a wince on my face and a tingle on my tongue. At least my father-in-law didn't seem to mind. "I'm sorry to dampen the mood for you both. I had hoped for nothing but bliss for the newlyweds."
Sleep did not come for the rest of the night. Beside me, Lucius occasionally stirred into consciousness, but we never uttered a word to each other. No terms of endearment, no encouraging whispers. I was at a loss and didn't know what to say to make him feel better. I found myself more concerned with my own safety now. I never expected I would be dragged into his dirty work. At one point during the early hours of the morning, my eyes cast down to the Dark Mark on his forearm. I hadn't paid a lot of mind to it before. Now, I was beginning to realize the heavy cost of being affiliated with Death Eaters: loss of family, living in fear...
When the sun rose, Lucius would return to the Ministry of Magic, along with his father. I didn't want to be alone in Malfoy Manor. If Avelina was still alive, she and I might have taken a walk in the gardens, perhaps have some mother-daughter bonding time. She might have made all sorts of inquiries about Venice, though I liked to tell myself she would have already visited there, as well as the rest of the world. She might have asked about my favorite parts about our vacation, talk about her own honeymoon with Abraxas. We would have talked about our wedding gowns...
Did she still keep hers?
It was easy to get bored in the manor, especially since I didn't have enough time to feel at home in its walls. I found myself wandering into one of Avelina's rooms, which possessed several vanities and closets full of dresses. I observed each and every one of them, and though I felt a bit ashamed of betraying her privacy, I was already committed. She was a beautiful woman who wore beautiful clothes - far more beautiful than anything I ever possessed. Even my own mother didn't quite meet those standards.
One particular gown caught my interests, and soon, I was prancing in front of the full-length mirror in green satin and lace. It wasn't far off from being a perfect fit on me, as Avelina had been a lithe woman, though one size down would have allowed it to hug better at my hips as it was styled to do. Still, it looked good, and I wondered if maybe a little tweaking might give it that perfect, fitted look I wanted.
Yet, I knew nothing about sewing.
"Mistress, this room is off-limits."
Soory's voice spoke up from the door, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Quickly, my eyes narrowed. "I don't answer to you," I sneered. "You answer to me."
Instantly, the house elf looked terrified, and I knew he had been trying to test what he could get away with. As it turned out, absolutely nothing.
"I'm sorry, m-mistress... You l-look...l-lovely in that dress. Er... there's a visitor d-downstairs."
The last thing I wanted was to handle visitors that had come to mourn with my husband or his father. I was tempted to simply tell the house elf to dismiss them, but supposed it was best to at least see what they wanted. I headed down the stairs after I slipped back into my black heels, holding the long skirt above my ankles so I wouldn't tumble down the stairs. As I opened up the door, I was momentarily surprised to see my mother standing on the other side, dressed entirely in black.
"Narcissa, my dear..." The look on her face was of complete distress, and I could imagine why. She had done a better job of bonding with Avelina than I had. They had become close friends ever since Lucius and I were arranged to be married. Still, she seemed even more concerned with my own well-being. "You haven't been sleeping well either, have you?" she sighed, her arms opening to let me in. I welcomed her embrace, and I had to inhale sharply to try to hold back a sob.
"No, mother." My arms squeezed her as hers did me, and for the first time in these fifteen, long hours, I felt at least some sense of security. "Please," I sniffled, "won't you come in?"
She followed me inside, and as I spotted Soory looking meek by the living room archway, I decided to exact my authority. "Bring us some tea."
"Yes, mistress." As he left the room to do so, I led mother into the next room. I opened up the curtains to let some of the morning sunshine in - anything I could do to brighten the mood.
"That dress... I've seen it before," I heard Druella speak from behind me. A pang of guilt struck me in the gut.
"It was hers," I confessed, peering down at the emerald satin before I turned to look at my mother. "I know I shouldn't have, but..."
"I'm sure they won't mind. What harm is it going to do her now, right?" she said, voicing my own thoughts. She gestured for me to come closer, tugging at the loose fabric around my waist. "It's a little big, but perhaps a little work can make it just the right fit. It's better than letting it collect dust, don't you agree?"
I smiled faintly. She really is my mother, and it showed in so many ways.
"Yes, mother, I agree."
Her smile mirrored mine for a moment, then, it fell. She took a seat in a chair, and I sat in the sofa across from her. "I know you two didn't have much time to really get to know each other, but Avelina was such a strong woman. She dealt with such hardships as a wife of a Death Eater." Now, my heart sank into the pit of my stomach. I wondered if mother was aware of what was expected of me tonight. "She held her head high and supported her husband, regardless. She was never converted, but... I suppose you could say He respected her for her undying support for her husband and even her son." For a moment, it was silent, and I let this sink in as Soory brought in the tea set on a platter.
"I would like to see you blossom into the same kind of partner for Lucius," she said to me, using her wand to carefully levitate the pot over our two cups. "I most definitely don't want you to take an Unforgivable for him, but... I'm sure you understand what I mean."
I watched the floating teapot for a moment, taking in this sound advice. I understood perfectly. If anything, it would be for my own safety. I could imagine He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named being quite displeased with any spouse of a Death Eater that showed disloyalty. "Yes, mother. I understand." I sipped at my tea, cupping the little mug in both of my hands.
"Lucius isn't always good at showing emotions, but I know he loves his mother," she went on. "And I most certainly know she loved him more than anything, even more than Abraxas, if I may say so." She smiled faintly, pocketing her wand into her robe once the teapot settled back onto the table between us. "She would have done just the same thing and never think twice, if that wizard's wand had been pointed at him instead."
I loved Lucius; I hadn't really noticed it until we shared those perfect days and nights in Venice. However, I couldn't honestly say that I would die to protect him. Avelina was indeed a rare breed to put her husband's life before her own. In a way, I felt disgusted with myself to come to this revelation, but was it really so terrible to want to live?